Singaporean in private equity, 57, learns life skills from chess

SINGAPORE – On chess player Kenneth Tan’s office desk is a rectangular paperweight that has followed him through the various stages of his career over the past 30 years.

It has not just been a tool to keep his table neat, but also helped the 57-year-old navigate the challenges he has encountered throughout his working life.

Inscribed on this paperweight are the words “Unicorns v Dragons Chess 1988 Best Oxford Game”.

It was a trophy he received while representing Oxford University in the annual Oxbridge Blues competition. While Oxford lost to Cambridge University, the trophy remains a prized possession for Tan.

Even as the game took a back seat after his graduation as he focused on his career, the paperweight is one way that chess has stayed deeply entrenched in his life.

It is a reminder of the lessons he has gleaned from the game, which he has been able to apply in his various jobs from the military to banking and now private equity and entrepreneurship.

He said: “Sometimes when things get more complex or complicated, the simplicity of a chess board with 64 squares helps streamline difficult issues into simpler problems...

“Work gets complex and the training you get in chess helps quite a bit. From my perspective, chess teaches you to weigh your options at every move, whether you’re winning or losing.

“The ability to sieve through options in every position is a life skill.”

In the last 36 years, Tan “informally” participated in international events at the South-east Asian level. His daughter also picked up the game in the early 2000s.

But he made serious preparations for the Nov 29-Dec 5 Singapore International Open, after being inspired to take part by the Republic’s hosting of the World Chess Championship between title holder Ding Liren and challenger Gukesh Dommaraju, which began on Nov 23 and will end on Dec 15.

Organised in conjunction with the world event is the Singapore Chess Festival comprising two major tournaments: the Singapore International Open and the National Age Group Championships, involving both local and overseas players.

The International Open features 579 registered players, including 37 grandmasters and six woman grandmasters, battling it out at Resorts World Sentosa over a week.

Tan’s friends and family questioned his decision to try and qualify for the Singapore International Open, knowing how much training it would require. But he was undeterred.

He said: “I think No. 1, it’s something you try to prove to yourself to do it.

“No. 2, it’s good for the country and you have to walk the talk to do it.

“Lastly, it’s an opportunity to make new friends and catch up with old ones whom I’ve not seen for many decades.”                              

To prepare for the event, he spent his Saturdays playing with his chess buddies, trying different variants and then using a computer to find solutions to these variants after the session.

He also dedicated hours to training after work, with coaches guiding him.

All this training brought him down memory lane, reminding him of the days when he was an undergraduate in Britain, travelling to various parts of Europe to take part in chess competitions.

Back then, in order to cut costs, he recalled bunking in with teammates at bed-and-breakfast accommodation as they tried to earn prize money to cover the cost of travel and lodging.

While others may see the copious hours of training as tough, the last few months of preparation have also been a form of relaxation for Tan.

He said: “I find chess relaxing, work is more intense. When I play chess it helps me relax, although not many people believe me.

“All this intense competition is a way of unwinding, just like others find reading a book relaxing.”

He eventually earned his spot at the tournament. Other Singaporeans competing include grandmasters Tin Jingyao, Siddharth Jagadeesh and woman grandmaster Gong Qianyun.

Tan added: “I hope to do credibly. It’s a tough field, I just hope I can learn from every game. I hope Singapore can continue to organise such competitions at this level, year in, year out, at this level beyond the world championship.”